{"id":17248,"date":"2017-04-07T05:00:23","date_gmt":"2017-04-07T05:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/?p=17248"},"modified":"2023-11-23T16:11:03","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T16:11:03","slug":"gibraltar-affair-the-spanish-view-and-a-lesson-in-modern-diplomacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/2017\/04\/gibraltar-affair-the-spanish-view-and-a-lesson-in-modern-diplomacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Gibraltar \u201cAffair\u201d\u2013The Spanish View and a Lesson in Modern Diplomacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_column_text]The rising tensions around Gibraltar this past week show that many people in the UK care very deeply about Gibraltar, and rightly so. For a number of reasons made only more important by Brexit, and discussed in a previous article for the British Foreign Policy Group<\/a>, Gibraltar is a unique asset and an\u00a0important part of the UK\u2019s global role. However, these tensions are also a clear warning of the diplomatic challenges that post-Brexit Britain could face. Much of the British media raucously reacted to the European Council\u2019s proposal to include what effectively would be a Spanish \u201cveto\u201d over Gibraltar in their draft Brexit negotiations guidelines<\/a>, with Lord Howard even suggesting that \u201cMay would be prepared to go to war over Gibraltar<\/a>\u201d. These comments have had a snowball effect, with inflammatory rhetoric about Gibraltar and Spain escalating in the UK. This \u2018noise\u2019 has the potential to be detrimental to the UK\u2019s aims. Not only does it muffle out the UK\u2019s own diplomatic efforts, but it also hinders a more reasoned understanding of the issues at hand among a wider UK audience that has a growing role to play in securing, or frustrating, our national interests in an increasingly complex international environment.<\/p>\n

What is the Spanish view of the current Gibraltar \u2018affair\u2019?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our position on Gibraltar has been much covered in the UK \u2013 summarised by Boris Johnson : \u201cAs ever, the UK remains implacable & rock-like in our support for Gibraltar\u201d. Ensuring we maintain this position whilst maximising UK interests in Brexit negotiations requires not only an understanding of our position, but also of the position of those with whom we are dealing, in this case Spain. Thus far such understanding seems \u00a0– at the very least \u00a0– limited in much UK commentary.<\/p>\n

It is true that the predominant view in Spain has been that the UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, made a strategic \u201cmistake<\/a>\u201d and appeared \u201cweak<\/a>\u201d by not mentioning Gibraltar in the UK\u2019s Article 50 letter to the EU, allowing Spain to take the initiative and secure a diplomatic victory<\/a> and a potential \u201cveto\u201d over Gibraltar in the Brexit negotiations. But despite the talk of a missed opportunity for the UK in the Spanish press, the rhetoric and tone from the Spanish government has not been one of confrontation. The new Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alfonso Dastis, does indeed aim to bring Gibraltar closer to Spain, and has said that Spain \u201ccannot accept aspects such as the question of the airport on territory that wasn\u2019t ceded under the Treaty of Utrecht<\/a>\u201d. However, his tone is far more conciliatory than that of his predecessor, Jos\u00e9 Manuel Garc\u00eda Margallo. Margallo, only replaced 5 months ago as minister, had stated shortly after the EU referendum vote, that he would \u201cFly a Spanish flag over Gibraltar sooner than Picardo thinks<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n

In contrast to the sensationalist tone employed amongst some UK commentators, there are (or at least were) in fact signs of a Spanish move towards warmer relationships with the UK. On the 25th<\/sup> of March, a full 6 days before the UK received the EU draft guidelines \u2013 Dastis discussed Gibraltar in an in-depth interview with Spanish newspaper ABC. He rejected claims that joint sovereignty was the only solution, stating that \u201c it takes two to tango<\/a>\u201d, and that if the UK and Gibraltar do not want joint sovereignty then there is nothing Spain can do about it. Whilst he said that Spain\u2019s interests will be a feature of the Brexit negotiations, he firmly stated (and has re-affirmed since) that Spain would not be taking any reprisals against Gibraltar<\/a>, highlighting the importance of Gibraltar to the thousands of Spaniards who commute there for work.<\/p>\n

Implications and Recommendations<\/strong><\/p>\n

This latest Gibraltar affair has shown how dramatisation by parts of the UK public, press, and parliament, can potentially undermine the broader diplomatic efforts of the UK. This includes the undermining of our international profile as an intelligent and reasonable actor, as seen by Dastis showing surprise at our \u201cuncharacteristic lack of traditional British calm and composure<\/a>\u201d. More broadly, whether it be threats of military action against Spain, or jokingly naming the efforts to re-engage effectively with the Commonwealth as \u201cEmpire 2.0<\/a>\u201d, the UK risks weakening an otherwise potentially strong position through a combination of sensationalism, insensitivity and a lack of international and historical awareness. May\u2019s strategy to laugh off<\/a> talk of war is undoubtedly the correct one, but risks being overwhelmed by wider heightened rhetoric. Increasing the frequency and improving the quality of discussion across the whole of the UK on UK foreign policy issues is one effective way of allowing for a deeper national understanding of foreign policy which would help avoid this kind of situation.<\/p>\n

In a digital world where everyone has a voice, and that voice can reach further than ever before, official state-to-state diplomacy is just one element in the maximising of our national interests. The rising popular element to international diplomacy is playing an ever-increasing role in determining the UK\u2019s future as a global actor. A successful post-Brexit Britain will require a strong commitment to diplomatic values and expertise as we reconfigure and rethink our different networks of global partners. However, it will only succeed with popular support and informed engagement across the UK. The British Foreign Policy Group offers\u00a0a platform for the UK to run both a successful and innovative rethink of its foreign policy alongside a truly national engagement on how to secure the best outcomes for all our people.<\/p>\n

If the UK can achieve these goals and apply them to the Brexit negotiations, there is little reason to believe Spain will actively pursue its theoretical power to veto a UK-EU deal. What this inflated row around Gibraltar does demonstrate is the importance of the UK pulling together in a reasoned and informed manner. It is this that will allow us to secure the deals and relationships required to maintain and extend the UK\u2019s position as a respected and influential global power in a post-Brexit world.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column el_class=”bfpgview”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views of the BFPG. The BFPG is an independent not for profit organisation that encourages constructive, informed and considered opinions without taking an institutional position on any issue.<\/span><\/h6>\n

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This latest Gibraltar affair has shown how dramatization by some UK commentators can potentially undermine the broader diplomatic efforts of the UK. This includes the undermining of our international profile as an intelligent and reasonable actor, as seen by Spain’s Minster for Foreign Affairs, Alfonso Dastis, showing surprise at our \u201cuncharacteristic lack of traditional British calm and composure\u201d. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":21345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[167,171],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diplomacy-and-soft-power","category-overseas-territories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17248"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17248\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bfpg.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}